Moray SNP News

NO MOTHER'S LOVE IN HIGHLANDS IN 'MAINLAND ONLY' DELIVERY SNUB

Mother’s in Highland Scotland could be left disappointed as a series of retailers have refused to deliver flowers ahead of Mother’s Day – saying that rural communities are not part of “mainland UK”.

The snub was highlighted by SNP MSP Richard Lochhead, whose Fair Delivery Charges campaign has exposed the unfair fees levied on shoppers in rural Scotland.

Thousands of members of the public have responded to his call for evidence with horror stories of hidden charges, often despite promises of free delivery to mainland UK. Mr Lochhead reported 124 companies to the Advertising Standards Authority.

Commenting, Richard Lochhead said:

“This is just the latest ridiculous snub for shoppers in the Highlands, who are once again told they don’t live on the mainland.

“Rural consumers are often more dependent on online shopping, but are constantly faced by hidden fees and extortionate surcharges. 

“For shoppers without a local florist or who live far from their family, this sort of approach goes beyond inconvenience and becomes infuriating.

“It’s time that businesses realised that they have a duty to consumers to be honest at the outset about their fees – and not make promises about ‘mainland UK’ delivery that they’ve no intention of keeping. 

“But it’s also time that the UK government, who have the power to regulate, took action and sorted this mess out.”